Rose Emily Snare, 78, a longtime resident of Gloucester County, finally lost her race with cancer on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at her Glen Roy Estates home. She was surrounded by friends and family in her final hours, all sharing anecdotes of her wonderful life.
There will be a memorial service on Jan. 31 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Andrews Funeral Home & Crematory, Gloucester.
She was born Aug. 3, 1938 in Norwich, Connecticut, to Polish immigrants. When she was only 21 years old she began her sprint against the Grim Reaper when she was the unlikely survivor of a horrific car accident as the passenger (this in the days before seat belts and safety glass). Thus followed 57 more years where she skipped seemingly effortlessly ahead ol’ G.R.
In 1964, she married her husband of 52 years, Joseph David, wearing a lower leg cast (the result of an unfortunate fall on an ice stairway). In the next year she gave birth to her only son, Robert Stanley.
Marrying a Navy man, she followed him from Connecticut, to New Jersey, Rhode Island, Florida, Cuba, and North Carolina before settling in Gloucester in 1983. At each location, she was tasked with setting up a household in a new and alien environment, excelling each and every time (by the last time she was some sort of a professional).
Over the years she worked as a medical stenographer, typing at speeds of up to 100 WPM (on those old IBM Selectric typewriters). It was while working at Internal Medicine of Gloucester/Walter Reed Hospital (now Riverside) that she made many of the friends who were especially helpful during her final months.
She retired in 1999, volunteering at venues all over Gloucester, from the hospital’s gift shop, Gloucester-Mathews Care (Free) Clinic, to two different thrift stores, before settling into her volunteer position at the Walter Reed Convalescent Home, a place where her many years of developing skills as a crafts person, and a professional bargain shopper held her in generous good stead.
In 2009 she had her first stumble in her race with ol’ G.R. when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, she quickly recovered and continued skipping once again, perhaps no longer quite so effortlessly.
In 2016 she was diagnosed with a case of advanced breast cancer metastasizing to the liver, a stumble from which she was not to recover. However, ol’ G.R. must have admired her tenacity, as he took her gently into his good night with her peaceful passing on Saturday.
Friend, co-worker, bargain shopper, dog handler, cat wrangler, homemaker, volunteer, thrift store connoisseur, raconteur, critic, sister, aunt, wife, and (of course) mother. Rose Emily Snare was many things to many people, her life a mosaic, her personalities myriad… no different, yet utterly unique; as are we all.
Some may call her life unremarkable, but for those who knew her, it was wonderful.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph; her son, Robert; her sister, Ann, and brother, Frank.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to the Rose E. Snare Memorial Fund for the Residents of the Walter Reed Convalescent Center, https://www.gofundme.com/rose-e-snare-memorial-fund.